Automobile-buffer.



A. L. MQGREGOR.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2B, 1908.

929,159, Patented July 27,1909.

- of which the following is a specification.

the elliptic springs must be taken into ac- ALLAN L. McGREGOR, OFDULUTH, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE-BUFFER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28,

Patented July 27, 1999.

1908. .Serial No. 460,694.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, ALLAN L. MoGREGoR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of 5 Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Buffers,

This invention relates to buffers intended for use on automobiles, andpertains more es- I pecially to that type wherein a horizontallydisposed buffer-bar is elastically mounted upon and in advance of theusual elliptic springs supporting the forepart of the automobile body. j

The invention has for its general object to' provide an improved bufferof this type wherein the buffer-bar may be capable of a yieldingmovement in a substantially horizontal plane and wherein the buffer-barand its yielding supports may be mounted andsupported wholly upon and bythe forward ends of the forward elliptic springs supporting the body. Inorder to accomplish this latter mode of attachment and support, thecompressing and expanding movements of count; and the principal novelfeatures of my present invention reside in the means whereby thebufler-bar is mounted and supported in the manner described upon theforward ends of said elliptic springs.

The invention will be readily understood when considered inconnection'with the accom anying drawings, which show'one' practicamechanical embodiment thereof, and in which,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved automobile buffer showingalso the forward ends of the front elliptic springs on '1 which thesame,is mounted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, thecushioning cylinder being partly in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a .gsimilar enlarged detail view substantially on the offset line 33 of Fig.2, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the buffer-rod in the usual form,the same being directly mounted in, collars 6 rigid with the outer endsof a pair of plungers 7, which latter are slidably supported incylinders 8, being normally thrust forwardly by cushioning springs 9confined within said cylinders between the inner ends'of the lungers andthe g inner' or closed ends of t e cylinders 'asl tal lug 12 of thecushioning cylinder.

clearly. shown in Fig. 2. To limit the outward thrust of the plungers, abolt 10 is passed through an aperture in the inner end of each cylinderand, extending through the spring 9, is screwed into the inner end ofthe plunger, the. head 10 of the bolt-acting in cooperation with the endof the cylinder, as a stop to limit the extent of outward travel of theplunger. v

The cylinder 8 has cast therewith a depending lug 11 and a horizontallyextending ug 12. The lug 11 is provided with an aperture through whichis designed to pass the usual'pivot bolt 13 by which the forward.meeting ends of the upper and lower leaves of the elliptic spring 1 1are hinged together, thelug being preferably, and as herein shown,provided with two or more such apertures 15, which adapt the device forconnection to sprin s of various heights and shapes. It will thus eobserved that the hinge bolts 13 of the springs constitute the supportsfor the weight of the buffer-rod and its cushioning devices. tiallyhorizontal position of. the buffer-rod cushioning devices, I provide afurther attachment of the cushioning cylinders 8 to the lower leaves ofthesprings, which attachment is of such a character as to not interferewith the free action of the springs while at the same time maintainingthe desired position of the buffer-bar and its cushioning. devicesandcontributing to the proper and adequate support of these parts toresist shocks and strains to which the buffer-bar may be subjected. Thisauxiliary attachment com prises, as best shown in the detail view, Fig.3 a clamp adapted to securely embrace the lower leaf of the spring 14and a flexible connection between said clamp and the -horigloln- 1eclamp, as herein shown, comprises a lower jaw 15 longitudinally slottedand formedwith a serrated u per face, a saddle 16 hav: ing a corresponingly serrated lower face mounted therein and provided with dependingguide-ribs 16 overlapping the sides of the jaw 15, a rubber cushion 17mounted in the saddle 16, an upper jaw 18 formed by a rectangularly bentrod provided with threaded ends 18 and 18 and an eye-bolt 19,'the

g end engages the slot of the lower jaw 15.

Suitable nuts 20, 21 and 22 on the threaded ends of the jaw 18 and thebolt 19 constitute In order to maintain the substanthe securing andtightening means of the tured, the openings therethrough being-preferably, and as herein shown, tapered or flared on both sides so asto form bearings for a connecting bolt 26 passed therethrough that willpermit a limited angular movement in any direction of said bolt therein.The bolt 26 has a rounded head 26 at its upper end having a loose orswiveling fit in the aperture of the lug 12 and a nut 27 on its lowerend beneath the swiveled lug 25. Surrounding the bolt 26 is a coilspring 28 maintained under compression, and forcing apart the lugs 12and 15 to the full extent permitted by bolts 26.

When the parts of the device have been assembled and mounted upon theforward ends of the elliptic springs 14 in the manner shown anddescribed, the butter-bar and its cushioning devices are supported andmaintained in the substantiallyhorizontalposition shown, by reason ofthe attachment of the latter at two separated points on each spring. Byreason, however, of the flexible'connection between the clamp whichembraces the lower leaf of the spring and the rigid lug 12 thecushioning cylinder ailorded by the swivel joint 23, 24, and theswiveled bearings of the connecting rod 26in the lugs 12 and theconnections readily adjust themselves automatically to the movements ofthe springs in travel and the consequent constant y shifting positionsof the points of attachment on the spring. hen the bufferbar strikes anobstacle,the shock is absorbed chiefly by the main cushioning springs 9;

but, owing to the fact that the cushioning cylinderslie slightly abovetheir pivots 13, there is also a limited tendency to rock said cylinderson the pivot-bolt 13,Which latter tendency is yieldingly opposed by thesprings 28. When the buffer-bar is freed from contact with the obstacleencountered thereby, the springs 9 automatically return the buiienbar tonormal projected position,

7 while the springs 28 at the same time restore the cushioningcylinders, if tilted, to a' normal horizontal position. The in and outtravel of the,bufler-bar in action is thus maintained substantiallyhorizontal. A very slight rismg and falling movement of the bufler-barmay take place under contraction and expansion of the elliptic springs,but the automatic angular flexibility of the connections be-. tween thecushioning cylinders and the springs permits this movement to take placewithout any hindrance to the free action of the latter.

vention may be mentioned the fact that it acts somewhat as a shockabsorber on the elliptic springs, preventing violent recoil or expansionthereof, which often breaks the springs, and also saves the vehicleitself to a large extent from injury resulting from collisions. It alsoprevents or mitigates the damage that would OtllClVv'lSG result to theperson or object collided with.

It will be manifest ,to those skilled in the art that the device asshown and described might be considerably variedin details Withoutinvolving any departure from .its principle of operation or sacrificingany of the benefits and advantages attained thereby. Hence I do notlimit the device to the particular form and construction disclosed,except to the extent clearly indicated inspeciflc claims.

I claim:

-1. An automobile butler, comprising in combination a butter-bar,cushioning devices carrying said bui'ler-barpivotally supported on theelliptic springsol' the vehicle, and flexible connections between saidcushioning devices and said springs permitting unhindered contractionand expansion of the latter, substantially as described.

2. An automobile bufler, comprising in combination a butlenbar,cushioning devices carrying 'said butler-bar pivoted on the hinge-boltsol' the elliptic springs of the vehicle, andiiexible connections betweensaid cushioning devices and said springs inwardly of said hinge boltspermitting unhindered contraction and expansion of said springs,substantially as described.

3. In an automobilebuffer, the combination with cushioning cylinderspivotally mounted on the hinge-bolts of the elliptic springs of thevehicle, plungers in said cylinders, and a bulienbar carried by saidplungers, of flexible connections between said cylinders and saidsprings inwardly of said hinge-bolts maintainii'ig said cylinders in asubstantially horizontal position while permitting unhinderedcontraction and expansionol' said springs, substantially as described.

4. In an automobile buller, the combination with cushioning cylinderspivotally mounted.on the hinge-bolts of the elliptic springs of thevehicle, plungers in said cylinders, and a buffer-bar carried by saidplungers, of clamps rigidly secured to one leaf of each of said springs,respectively, and angus larly yieldable connections between said clampsand said cylinders inwardly of the pivotal connections of the latter tosaid springs,substantially as described.

5. In an automobile buffer, the combination with cushioning cylinderspivotally mountedon the hinge-bolts of the elliptic springs of thevehicle and provided with apertured lateral lugs, plungers in saidcylingers, of clamps rigidly secured to one leaf of lugs apart,substantially as described.

6. In an automobile buffer, the combination with cushioning cylinderspivotally mounted on the hinge-bolts of the elliptic springs of thevehicle and provided with rigid apertured lateral lugs, plungers in saidcylinders, and a buffer-barocarried by said plungers, of clamps rigidlysecured to one leaf of each of said springs, respectively, and providedwith apertured radial lugs swiveled therein, bolts swivelingly mountedin and connecting saidcylinder and clamp lugs, and

coil springs surrounding said bolts and normally forcing said lugsapart, substantially as described.

7. In an automobile buffer, the combination with cushioning cylinderspivotally mounted on the hinge-bolts of the elli tic springs of thevehicle, plungers in said cy ders, and a buffer-barcarried by saidplungers, of clamps mounted on one leaf of each of said sprins,'respectiv ely, said clamps be ing adjustabl both laterally andlongitudi-' nally of said springs, and flexible connections between saidclam s and said cushioning cylinders, substantia y as described.

ALLAN-L. MCGREGOR.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GooDwIN.

